Persistence and Pretensions
by Eren Heichou
Summary: Eren Yeager is being tormented by guilt and regret from his past life. Wanting to let go, he decided to write it down and finally forget everything and start on a clean slate. What if on the very process of writing it, he meets the very person that he decided to let go and forget? And there's nothing to shake him off. What'll he do then? Pretend. Yeah, he'll do that.
1. Stormy Skies and Your Grey Eyes:Prologue

Summary:

Eren Yeager is being tormented by guilt and regret from his past life. Wanting to let go, he decided to write it down and finally forget everything and start on a clean slate. What if on the very process of writing it, he meets the very person that he decided to let go and forget? And there's nothing to shake him off. What'll he do then?

Pretend.

Yeah, he'll do that. Pretend not to know the love of his life. Yeah, right. What a brilliant idea!

Levi Ackerman is being plagued by his past life. Yes, it was not great considering the Titans and all but he is determined to find the brat that owns his heart. After many years, being an editor led him to the brat. But the little shit is being stubborn.

Being the persistent ass he is Levi won't have any of it.

* * *

Chapter 1 – Stormy Skies and Your Grey Eyes - Prologue-

A flash of lightning shot through the sky and a loud grumble of thunder followed, slightly shaking the roof and swaying the small chandelier hanging from the ceiling. A young man stood behind a large window watching the heavy downpour as it fell from grey skies, his right hand ghosting over the moist glass. A sigh escaped his lips as guilt crept over him.

' _It's just like that day...'_

Unwanted memories began flooding his head; memories of a past long gone which he desperately longed to forget. Oh, how he wished that he never remembered them but some higher power made it his decision to make his life miserable and filled with nothing but guilt and regret.

' _It's my fault that they...that they died. I was weak. I couldn't save them. I am nothing like hope; I'm just a useless good-for-nothing. They relied on me! But I only...I only betrayed their trust.'_

The young man hanged his head down, his eyes clenched as tears threatened to fall from his beautiful ocean-like eyes. Not wanting a sob to escape, he gritted his teeth and closed his hands into fists not minding his nails as they dug through his palms to control his shaking body.

' _I can't even save the only person that loved me.'_

He allowed his tears to fall as a memory of piercing steel-grey eyes, slowly losing their light, flashed through his mind. He looked up as his tears synchronize with the falling rain. Ah, a mistake it was, he realized. Seeing the stormy skies only remind him more of his lover's eyes and made his tears fall harder.

Unknown to him, a pair of deep, blue eyes witnessed the heartbreaking scene.

* * *

"Eren...?," Armin knocked on Eren's door to alert the other of his presence. It was wide open when he saw his best friend being like that. He wanted to approach Eren a while ago but he decided to leave him be. Armin saw Eren like this every now and then especially on stormy days. Eren only dismisses it and smiles like nothing is wrong. It was such a sad, sad sight.

Armin knew enough not to ask. Whenever he does, Eren shuts down and close himself away from the world. He doesn't know the reason why his best friend breaks down on days like this. Mikasa did not know either. Eren never told them why. They chose to give him space but it still hurts them to see him like this especially whenever they see that fake smile on Eren's face. Eren may fool other people with his facade but he can never hide from Armin or Mikasa. They are his family for god's sake. Armin just hoped that Eren will trust them more.

"Oh, Armin! Is it time for dinner already?" Eren stopped typing on his laptop and set down his reading glasses. His eyes are not that bad, he just gets dizzy whenever he reads too much. He then stood up from his desk and flashed a toothy smile at Armin, but it never reached his eyes.

' _It's that smile again.'_ Armin thought but he decided not to mind it for now.

"Yeah, Mikasa's done cooking, oh, and a letter arrived for you a while ago. I guess it's about the book you submitted for publishing." Armin said as they walk down the stairs.

"REALLY?!", Eren shouted and proceeded to run down the stairs. Armin was about to shout at him for being careless but he stopped himself and just shook his head with a fond smile on his face. Whenever it's about his writing, Eren's smiles become genuine, that's why he let him get away for that childish act.

Eren ran through the stairs like a mad man and almost threw himself to the coffee table where the letter was. Mikasa saw him and wondered why Eren had such energy in a rainy day like this. She knew that Eren was being mopey and gloomy upstairs.

"Eren, what's that?" Mikasa approached Eren, her right hand adjusting the red scarf around her neck.

"Oh, this?" Eren looked at her with sparkling eyes.

"It's from the publishing company where I submitted my manuscripts. It's their reply whether they accepted it or not!" Eren's practically vibrating with anxiety and excitement.

Armin reached the end of the stairs just in time to see the contents with Eren and Mikasa.

"Good day Mr. Yeager," They huddled towards the letter and Eren began to read. "The Recon publishing company...hmm...hmm...accepts your submission..."

"HELL YEAH!" Eren shouted while doing a silly victory dance.

"Eren! Don't shout near our ears!" Mikasa chastised Eren but nonetheless amused.

"Hehe, Sorry about that." Eren smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head.

"The letter's still not finished Eren." Armin reminded him with a soft smile.

"Oh, right! Let's see...hmm...we would like to request your presence this Friday so you can meet our officials and your assigned editor. Thank you and we hope to see you soon." Eren finished.

"It's Wednesday now, I've still got two days. I better find my best clothes for this!" Eren said with fiery determination.

"Can you, Eren? Your closet is a jungle, and all your clothes are not really fitting for a business meeting. What do you plan to do now?" Armin asked, an eyebrow arched and a teasing smile on his face.

"Ughh, your right..." Eren slumped down to the floor.

"Help me Armin, Mikasa? Please?" Eren asked them with wide, teary eyes and a slight pout on his lips. Which were slightly quivering by the way.

Armin pretended to think it through, and Eren levelled up his kicked puppy look. Armin sighed and smiled to the brunet.

"Of course we would, right Mikasa?" Armin looked at her.

"We could never refuse you Eren." Mikasa said, her smile hidden by her scarf.

"Thank you! You guys are the best!" Eren jumped up and hugged them tightly.

Armin and Mikasa hugged him back with soft smiles on their faces. It's rare to see Eren this genuinely happy. They sincerely hoped that the brunet will always be like this and they wanted to help him to be able to do so, but for now, they decided to be satisfied with this moment.

Eren let go of them and proceeded to the dining table. "We should celebrate tonight!" Eren exclaimed.

They followed Eren to the table and began eating their dinner.

* * *

Piercing grey eyes glared at the cackling woman in front of him. If looks could kill, Hanji would be reduced to dust by now.

"What's with the grumpy attitude, short stuff?" Levi's eyebrow twitched at that. "The kid's good. Here's his manuscript," Hanji handed him a stack of paper, "Take it with you and read it, you'll agree with me!" Hanji winked at him and continued laughing at his face.

"Shut it, Four-eyes! What are you and Eyebrows thinking taking in a brat like that?! Have you gone crazy now? Oh, wait, you are!" Those steel-grey eyes narrowed, willing that his co-worker combust and be eaten by flames right now.

"Now, now, Levi deary, why not give the kid a chance? I know you'll like his story being the grumpy little angsty ass you are, now, take it." Hanji wiggled the papers in front of his face, a manic grin on her face.

Levi snatched the papers from Hanji's hands and proceeded to the door. He stopped halfway and turned to Hanji.

"You better not regret this." Levi raised the stack of paper in his hands.

"Nah, I won't and _you_ won't. I know it." Hanji gave a knowing smile to Levi. Levi raised an eyebrow at that.

"Now, shoo, I've got more papers to read and you've got one too." Hanji waved at him to go away.

"I know Four-eyes!" Levi shouted back as he walked towards the exit. Cold night breeze slammed his face as he exited the building.

' _What are they thinking assigning me to edit for a fucking brat? They didn't even consult me beforehand!'_ Levi thought as he stomped through the parking lot. He searched his pockets for his car keys and went inside his car. He turned up his car's heater and started his car.

' _A brat, huh.'_

A certain brat's emerald eyes flashed through his mind as he pulled away from the parking lot.


	2. Fate's Pull in a Starless Night

Chapter 2 – Fate's Pull in a Starless Night

Eren trudged up the stairs and headed straight to his bedroom. He felt exhausted. It's not because he overworked himself during the day. There was nothing to do with the entire storm going on outside this morning anyway, but he felt tired...spent. He's perfectly fine physically but emotionally, well, that's another story. 

As soon as he entered his room, Eren made a beeline for his bed and flopped down unceremoniously. He closed his eyes and sighed. It was such a long day. He woke up this morning and found the rain battering the roofs and windows of the town and it already made his mood go down. Then there's that new chapter that he had to finish, which he did not. God, everything he did felt so strenuous that he felt the hours drag on to infinity. Well, at least not everything went bad today. He received his acceptance letter to Recon, and man, was he glad. Learning the news made smiling less of a chore for him. He felt genuinely happy not only because that his passion was starting to sprout its roots, but also because he was able to show a real part of himself to Armin and Mikasa, and that is his love for writing. 

Writing became an essential part of his life from a very young age. Ever since Eren was born, he saw these images of gigantic walls that reached up to the sky and endless lands that left uncharted and unexplored. His little mind found it fascinating, and whenever he saw pictures of mountains, forests and the ocean – especially the _ocean_ – he can't help but squeal with glee. 

When Eren became seven, things started to get scary. He started seeing towering humanoid creatures mindlessly eating people, crushing them with their filthy hands and stepping on them like ants, worst of all he saw one of them eating his mother. And on that particular night where that nightmare occurred, everything made sense in that little mind. The Titans, the Survey Corps, him being a shifter, his past life, his friends, everything, he remembered _Every. Single .Thing._ And it was hard for his young mind to take in. He became very quiet and detached as opposed to that energetic child he used to be, and it made his parents worried. They tried to talk to their son but nothing seemed to work, so they decided to give him a notebook. A plain, simple notebook where he could write everything that he sees and feels. That notebook became his outlet and friend and he was thankful for it. He carried it all throughout the day and filled every page. It was his companion during the hardest part of his life, especially when his parents died when he was 15. During those times, Armin and Mikasa were there to support him but they can never understand him. They don't know anything, they remember nothing. 

It was his notebook where he clung to. It was his anchor and it kept him sane. He wrote, and wrote and wrote. He let it all out, every horrifying detail was written in that notebook, but among those awful memories a particular person stood out. And it made everything better, _he_ made everything better. There were _his_ gray eyes, _his_ piercing glare that seemed to look at your soul, but most of all it was _his_ loving silver gazes that took Eren's breath away. Among the chaos, there stood at the centre, was his Captain. _His Levi_.

Remembering Levi was bliss. He remembered his sharp eyes, his sculpted jaws and bowed lips, those perfectly shaped brows and the taste of his kiss. Oh, how he loved to taste those sweet lips, to feel the burning trails it left on his skin as they delved deeper into their passion, to hear those soft whispers of love and to feel his soft caress as they slowly burn into the night. In that world, Levi was his life, his reality. After all the loss he experienced, Levi became his _everything_.

Everything seemed to be better and Eren started to calm down but everything started to crash and burn once again when he remembered that particular day, that day where he lost his life, the day he lost his _everything_. The anguish and guilt that he felt were never as strong as to what he felt that day, even when he saw his mother got eaten. During those times he was nothing but a useless child, he was powerless, but this, he could have done something for this! And it was what hurt him the most. He had the power to do something, _anything_ , but he ended up doing _nothing_. He saw his comrades die, he saw his friends die, and he saw his _love_...die. No matter how much he wanted to not include it in his memories, it was still there haunting him, slowly eating his conscience.

Eren was devoured by guilt and each passing day he grew tired of everything, of remembering and writing, so he decided to stop. He carried on with his life but those memories continued on following him. They were restless, sitting on the edge of his consciousness until he can't hold them in anymore. And before those bottled feelings of guilt and regret exploded, he needed an outlet, so he decided to pick up a notebook once again and write and let everything go. If before he wrote to remember, then now he is writing to forget.

Eren took a deep breath and exhaled it all at once. He slowly opened his eyes and the moonlight swam through his emerald eyes, making them glow.

"Levi..." Eren softly muttered his loves name as he stared at the full moon through his window. Its silver glow reminding him of Levi's gaze filling his eyes with unshed tears.

He wanted Levi. He needed him, but Eren did not want to be selfish. At first, he wanted to look for him, he really, really did but he thought that his presence might only remind Levi of all the anguish and horrors of that world. He wanted to give Levi a chance to live his life free from the burdens of his past life. He wanted him to be free and he thought that by doing so he'll be able to free himself too, free from the guilt and chains of his past. It was his atonement for his betrayal, so he decided to give him up.

' _Ughhh...I feel so tired but I can't sleep.'_

Eren rolled over on his stomach and craned his neck to check the time at the clock sitting on his nightstand.

"Ten-thirty huh, I guess I could still take a short walk outside."

Eren picked up his blue jacket lying on his desk and quietly exited his room. He made sure to take slow quiet steps so as not to wake Mikasa and Armin. They'll probably just fuss over him and he doesn't need that right now. He loves them, yes, but he just needs to be alone right now and clear his head.

He slowly walked down the stairs and toward the entry hall. He took his sneakers from the shoe rack beside the door and wore them. As soon as he stepped outside, cold, late-autumn breeze blew over him and made him shiver.

"Geez," Eren rubbed his arms in attempt to warm himself. "It's getting colder. I should have brought something thicker." He was about to return inside but thought that he may have used up all his luck in not waking Mikasa up. "Never mind, this'll do." Eren turned to face the street and started to walk.

It was such a calm night for a whole day of storm. The sky was clear and the moon was full but there were no stars in sight. Eren found it to be quite eerie. The moon was strangely a bit larger and it felt like the moon has eyes and it was staring at his soul. It was quite unnerving; it felt like the moon was waiting for something to happen.

"It's just your imagination Eren, just your weeeeeird imagination." Eren muttered and brushed the feeling off. He resumed his walk and started counting the street lamps for entertainment. He had nothing better to do anyway.

Eren continued walking until he reached the last street lamp in front of a pedestrian crossing.

"Aaaand thirty," Eren looked at the street lamp's head. "Guess, you're the last one now huh." Eren chuckled. He felt silly talking to a street lamp but nobody's here to see him anyway.

Suddenly, a breeze blew over but it was odd. It felt warm, too warm for a late-autumn night.

"That was weird." Eren wondered out loud and turned his head toward the direction where the breeze came from and he found himself frozen.

There standing across the street was a short man with gray eyes staring back at him.


	3. Well,Shit

A/N: Hi Guys! I'm really sorry about the late update! *bows 90 degrees* I was just having second thoughts on what to do with some scenes but I survived! I know it's been more than two weeks and I'm really sorry for that. Anyhow, here is Chapter 3! Please Enjoy :) XD I don't own anything about SnK I just love it. :D More notes at the end of the chapter :D

* * *

Chapter 3 – Well...shit

A permanent glare was etched on his face as he drove his way through the dark streets. The moon was full and high and while most people were already asleep on their beds, here he was still on the road. After having a shitty day dealing with shitty, arrogant writers who don't want to accept corrections on their shitty works that glasses freak decided to dump more load on him.

"Damn that woman," Levi grounded out through his teeth. "If this ends up being another shitty work from a shitty brat, I'll kill her."

Levi glanced down at the clock on his dashboard. The red blinking lights reading exactly 10 in the evening. He let out an irritated sigh and felt an incoming headache.

' _Might as well get coffee, I'm obviously going to pull an all-nighter for this.'_

Levi took a right turn at the next corner and drove towards Cafe Maria.

It took him less than 10 minutes to reach the cafe and he easily manoeuvred his car at the small parking space in front of it. The cafe was open 24/7 and he always went here whenever he has to do some all-nighters. He exited his car with a grace of a sleep-deprived, exhausted man could have at 10 in the evening with work waiting to be read. Oh, the joys of life. He pressed a button that locked his car and he took slow, even steps towards the entrance his breath creating small, white puffs because of the chilly air.

A small bell chimed as he opened the door alerting the cafe's employees of his presence. A ginger haired woman at the counter greeted him cheerfully and he could not fathom where her energy came at this time of the night.

"Hello, Levi!" The woman greeted him.

Levi nodded to her as an acknowledgement.

"Is there another customer Petra?" A sleepy, irritated voice called out from the kitchen. "Why do people come he–oh, Levi!" A dirty blond haired man stopped his rant as he saw Levi's annoyed face.

"Hey! How's your day? All the customers we had were really shi – Ack!" The man let out a pained sound as he bit his tongue.

"Oluo." Petra called out the man's name to chastise him but still fondly shook her head at the man's antics.

Levi watched the act in silence already used to it.

"So what would you like to order?" Petra turned back to him.

"I'll take my usual but make it stronger and I'll also get a slice of cheesecake." Yes, Levi liked cheesecakes BUT it did not necessarily mean he liked cakes. He hated that sugar-filled, diabetes-inducing stuff, but he liked, no, loved cheese. So, yeah he likes cheesecakes. Deal with it.

Petra and Oluo started preparing his order. "Gonna have a long night?" Petra asked as she prepared Levi's coffee.

"Hm." Levi let out as a sound of agreement. "That damn Hanji gave me a new manuscript to read. It's from the new author she hired who just came out of college. I honestly don't know what's gotten into her hiring a brat and assigning them to me...come to think of it she did not even gave me a name, not even a resume." Levi finished, a bit incredulous for the fact that he forgot to ask Hanji. He was not one to miss such important details. He was probably more tired than he thought.

"Knowing Hanji, that author must be really special." Petra said as she handed him his coffee.

Levi raised an eyebrow. "I really don't know about that. She can be eccentric, I take that back, she _is_ eccentric and that trait affects her decisions more often than not."

"Just give them a chance. You'll never know, maybe something good may come out of it." Petra replied as she gave Levi the box of cheesecake after Oluo finished preparing it.

"The total will be 4.75." Petra said as she punched the orders in the counter.

Levi took out a five dollar bill and told her to keep the change.

"Goodnight Levi!" Petra called out and gave a wave as Levi walked out of the cafe. Levi replied with a nod.

The cold air assaulted him as he stepped out of the shop. It was very quiet tonight, there were barely any cars passing by. He gave out a sigh as he thought of what he had to do tonight. He started walking towards his car when he heard a voice across the street.

" –aaaand thirty." He looked towards the source of a voice and saw a boy on his early twenties looking up at a street lamp.

' _This kid is crazy'_ Levi thought with a shook of his head.

"Guess, you're the last one now huh." He heard the kid said while staring at the street lamp and Levi couldn't help but freeze on his spot. That voice was familiar. Now that he heard it clearly he can't help but notice that it was _very_ familiar. It was that voice that called his name with adoration, with _love_ and although Levi hated sweet things, he can't help but make an exception and love that sweet, sweet voice.

He heard the boy chuckle and it made his heart swell. He had missed that laugh. It devastated him back then when the world took it away from him.

Suddenly, a warm breeze flew by but Levi did not have any time to focus on how weird it was for a chilly autumn night. He was busy staring into widened emerald orbs that were glowing a bit of blue as moonlight hit that beautiful face. They were all there. Everything he loved was there right in front of him. That tousled brown hair, those glowing eyes, that nose, and those sweet, plump lips he oh so loved and claimed.

' _Eren'_

He was stunned and speechless and that was the only word stuck in his head. It's as if time has stopped as they stared at each others' eyes but by the time his feet started to move, a damned truck decided to break their trance. Levi expected to see the boy on the other side after the truck passed but he saw nothing. The boy was already gone.

"Fuck!" Levi hissed. He haphazardly put his coffee and the box of cheesecake on top of his car and ran across the street. He saw a figure turn around a far-off corner but it was too far out to chase down.

His hand turned into a fist and he punched a wall of a nearby building.

"Damn it!" It couldn't have been his imagination right? Eren was really there. After all the years of searching for him, he had finally found him...right?

"Damn it, damn that truck!" Levi let out more curses as he walked back to his car. He took his items inside and placed them carefully on the passenger seat. He flopped down to his seat and hunched over the wheel, his forehead resting on it.

He thought of how much of a lost chance that encounter was, but it was good that he found him. At least he knew that Eren exists in this era and he was glad he had not lost hope. But why did Eren ran away? Did he not remember him? Levi shook his head.

' _No, if he did not remember me he would not be surprised to see me. But it could have been because he was startled to find that someone was staring at him...'_

Levi let out a sound of frustration as pessimistic thoughts took over his mind. He leaned back on his seat and ran a hand through his raven hair that left it as a mess.

"Eren..." Levi softly muttered his love's name.

He took a deep breath and started his car and huffed when he remembered that he had a lot to do.

There were a lot of thoughts racing through his mind as he drove to his house but only one thought stood out.

' _Eren, I will take you back.'_

* * *

"Shit, shit, shit." Eren chanted as he ran as fast as he could. He did not care where he'd end up as long as he could get away from Levi as fast as possible. He thanked the heavens for that big truck for bringing him back to his senses.

Eren huffed and panted as he ran down the street towards his house. He did not stop running even once and didn't care when he almost tripped. Only a block was left until he reached his destination and his legs are starting to give up on him. Adrenaline was the only thing that pushed him to his limits. He was a man of determination and everyone knew him for that, but the moment he saw those steel-grey eyes he felt himself crumble.

' _Only a little more...'_

Eren made a final push solely relying on the chemicals coursing his body to reach his house and immediately rounded to the back. He decided not to enter the front door and risk waking Mikasa and Armin up. There were just too much to think about right now.

Eren slowly pushed the door open and made a loud creaking sound. He flinched and his eyes nervously darted around.

He exhaled the air he was unknowingly holding when he saw that he was safe. He closed the door silently and went up to his room without taking off his shoes.

He walked towards his door without making any sound. He turned the knob with slightly shaking hands. As soon as he entered his room, everything he was holding in poured out.

Adrenaline left his body and he did not make it to his bed when his legs gave up on him. His back rested on the door as he slowly slid down into a crumpled mess.

' _Levi...'_

' _Oh god, why?...why do I have to see him now?_

Eren's eyes were wide and glistened with unshed tears as he stared at the moon through the large window on the wall across him. He stared hard and long as if asking the moon for answers.

He rested his head on the door behind him and closed his eyes. His right hand travelled to his chest right where his heart rested and clutched the fabric of his shirt. Tears slowly ran down his cheeks, he didn't know if it was from happiness or hurt. He was happy, of course. Who wouldn't be happy after seeing the love of their life? But seeing Levi after hardening his resolve made him hurt. Knowing that the person you desire is within arm's reach but still can't pull him towards you hurts.

He felt exhaustion claim him and as he succumb to a deep slumber he dreamt of a man with silver eyes.

Consecutive knocks on his door startled him awake and he groaned as he was blinded by the sun shining brightly and directly at him.

"Eren? You awake? Breakfast's ready and we still have to go shop for your clothes later." Armin's muffled voice was heard through the door. More knocks were heard when he did not respond.

"Yeah...yeah I'm awake. I'll go down in a few." Eren responded, his voice still hoarse due to sleep.

"Okay then, oh and Mikasa already left. She traded schedules with her co-worker today so she has morning shift at the dojo." Armin said before he left and went down the stairs.

Eren stood up from where he sat. He couldn't believe he slept sitting on the floor like that. He bent his neck from side to side trying to work out the kinks there and winced when he heard a sickening crack. He shuffled towards the clock on his nightstand and saw that it was just eight in the morning.

He let out a big yawn and sluggishly walked to his bathroom. He stood in front of the sink and was shocked of what he saw on the mirror.

His face was streaked with dried tears and his eyes were a bit red and puffy. There were black circles around his eyes. He looked dead actually. He shook his head and proceeded to wash his face to slightly freshen him up. He washed away the tears and did everything to lessen the reddish puff of his eyes. He wiped his face with the towel hanging beside the sink and gave a nod to his reflection after he fixed himself up.

He went down the stairs and the smell of bacon and eggs made his stomach grumble.

"Good Morning, Eren." Armin greeted him as he settled down to a chair at the dining table.

"Good Morning." Eren replied and flashed Armin his practiced smile.

Armin noticed it and can't help but ask, "Did something happened last night? You're eyes are a bit red and you look tired." His blue eyes staring intently at Eren's face searching for any answers he could find.

Eren faked a yawn and rubbed his eyes. "Nah, just stayed up too late writing stuff. It's probably from lack of sleep."

Armin looked unconvinced but decided to drop it. "Is that so? How many times do I have to tell you not to stay up so late? It's gonna ruin your health."

Eren scratched the back of his head and said, "Yeah sorry, I just got too caught up with my writing."

Armin hummed as a reply and they started eating.

' _Your ears are red Eren...'_ Armin thought as he took a glance at his best friend.

* * *

Eren sighed for the umpteenth time as he found himself being dragged by his blond best friend around the mall. They've been walking around for two and a half hours and went to a total of ten shops and with Armin being so picky, they still haven't found anything. It's already noon and his stomach began protesting.

"Armiiiiin" Eren whined to his best friend and gave him his full force puppy look, "I am soooo hungryyy, I need fooood!"

"Yeah, yeah, just try this first and we'll eat." Armin replied and threw him a long-sleeved plain forest green button up shirt and black slacks.

"Ughh" Eren took it and returned to the changing room.

He put on the pants first and then the shirt. It fit his form perfectly, not too tight on the chest and waist but enough to show his toned body. He tucked it in the pants and rolled his sleeves up to his elbows and left the two top buttons undone, his slacks wrapping his legs just right and accentuating his tall build.

He looked in front of the mirror and examined himself. He cleans up nicely he thought, not too formal and excessively casual but enough to give a relaxed atmosphere. He went out of the changing room to show the outfit to Armin.

"Soo? How do I look like?" Eren asked while grinning. He looked good and he damn well knew it.

Armin rolled his eyes at his friend's arrogance. He looked at Eren from head to toe with surveying eyes. He decided that Eren looked good in the outfit but he didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that.

"You look fine." Armin said with a flat voice.

"What?! After dragging me around those shops and finally finding a good outfit you just say I look fine? I look so damn perfect, man!"

"Whatever you say Eren, whatever you say..." Armin walked away to let Eren change.

Eren let out an amused huff at his friend's antics and went back inside to change into his normal clothes. After that they went to the cashier to pay for it and decided to eat at Burger King.

All of the tables inside the joint were occupied and they had no choice but sit at the table located outside.

Eren settled down at one of the seats and let Armin order for them. He leaned back and looked around the mall. There were fewer people since it's a weekday. People are usually at their offices working their asses off. He gave out an amused smile when he saw a pair of children running around, their mother calling after them. He felt nostalgic. He can't help but miss those times when he, Armin and Mikasa were just little kids playing around and his mom looking after them. He really missed his mom.

He stared of at the distance looking at nothing in particular when he heard something that made his gut drop. He heard someone laughing, well cackling. There is nothing bad with laughing. Laughter is the best medicine they say, but when it is coming from a pony-tailed, glasses-wearing brunette woman accompanied by a certain midget quickly approaching his direction...well it might be bad, for him at least.

' _Shit no, no, no, what do I do?!'_

Eren's eyes frantically darted around searching for something, anything he could do. He paused and looked at their direction at the corner of his eye. He saw them walking closer, good thing they hadn't noticed him yet.

' _Holy shit, hope this works.'_

He leaned towards the table and propped his right elbow on it, then he turned slightly so that his back was facing the outside and he was facing the transparent glass walls of the joint. He raised his right hand to the side of his forehead and used it to cover his eyes. He pulled out his phone and pretended to be doing something with it. He held it low with his left hand so he was looking down and his face was hidden.

He knew it was such a petty act and so, so futile, but it's better than nothing. He prayed to whatever gods up there that his plan would work.

His heart was running a hundred miles per hour when he heard their voices approaching. He swallowed the saliva gathering in his mouth due to nervousness and he took a subtle look at the reflection on the transparent glass in front of him as he wait for them to pass by.

"Hahahahahaha Levi you are such an idiot!" He heard Hanji say in a loud voice as she and Levi walked.

"Shut it shitty glasses it's not my damn fault that a truck passed by." Levi said with an irritated frown.

' _Truck?'_

"Still, I can't believe that you were outrun by him, hahahahaha, you're getting rusty." Hanji cackled some more.

Levi said nothing and only gave her his infamous death glare.

' _Outrun? Shit! Are they talking about me? Does Hanji knows? ...wait...if they are talking about me then they remember? Oh my god, this is the worst.'_

Hanji was still laughing when they passed him and Eren took a glance at the reflection and it was an understatement to say that he was shocked when his and Hanji's eyes met. He was frozen and her lips quirked up into an amused subtle smirk that made Eren paralyzed. Good thing Levi was facing ahead.

Eren waited with bated breath to see if Hanji will stop and approach him but she did not and just continued walking with Levi. He let out the breath he was holding and slumped down on his chair. He was greatly relieved, he really, really was but he was utterly baffled why Hanji didn't do anything. He felt worried that something worse than this might happen and he dreaded it.

* * *

It was Friday.

Eren woke up earlier that his alarm and prepared breakfast for him, Armin and Mikasa. The two were happily surprised because Eren waking up in the wee hours of the morning was rarer than a blue moon. He could still feel the dread clawing at the corners of his mind but decided to push it aside for this special day. It's his first day of being officially under the Recon Publishing Co. and was very excited to meet his superiors and editor. He hoped that they could get along well.

After eating, he took a bath and scrubbed his body clean. He then brushed his teeth thoroughly and rinsed his mouth with a mouthwash. He flashed his pearly whites at the mirror and nodded to himself. He felt perfectly good. He towelled himself dry and wore his recently bought ironed shirt and slacks then he went downstairs. Armin was already out for the university and studying for his master's degree and Mikasa headed for the dojo half an hour ago but they wished him luck before leaving.

Eren grabbed the keys to his car. It was a simple one and the three of them shared it. Armin and Mikasa decided to let Eren use it today.

He checked everything before leaving and locking the house. He whistled a happy tune as he strode towards the car and even greeted their annoying neighbour that always fusses about his lawn.

He kept up a happy visage as he drove to Recon.

He easily manoeuvred his car and parked it on an empty slot. He got out of his car and locked it with a beeping sound. He smiled to himself and took confident strides towards the entrance.

"Hello there! Welcome to Recon!" The receptionist greeted him as he approached them.

"Good morning!" Eren greeted back. "I'm Eren Yeager and I have an appointment today with the officials, I'd like to ask where the conference room is."

"Oh, yes! Take the elevator and go to the 5th floor, the room with the biggest door is the conference room, you won't miss it." The receptionist enthusiastically answered.

"Thanks." Eren smiled at the receptionist and walked towards the elevator.

He pressed the up button and he was rocking back and forth as he waited for it to reach the ground floor. He was really excited and he can't just stand still.

The elevator dinged and opened. Eren waited for the passengers to get out before walking in. He pressed '5' and closed the elevator doors. He stared up at the changing numbers and eagerly went out as soon as it reached '5'.

He took even strides towards the large doors located at the centre of the floor. He stopped in front of it and took a deep breath.

' _This is it.'_ Eren thought.

He raised his hand to knock but he stopped when he heard an awfully familiar voice.

"When is that brat arriving? It's almost eleven. I swear if that kid is late he won't be stepping inside this room ever again." Eren heard the irritated monotone voice say.

"Aww, don't be like that. He's not even late yet, there's still ten minutes." Another familiar voice said.

"Shut up Shitty Glasses."

"Now, now stop your little fight and Hanji's right, the kid's not late yet Levi." Yet another familiar voice was heard through the doors.

"Whatever Eyebrows."

Eren's eyes were wide and he was planted where he stood.

"Oh right, I forgot to bring the contract for the signing today I'm going to get it from my office. Just stay put short stuff." Eren heard Hanji say and he panicked as he heard footsteps approaching the door.

He debated whether to run or hide but it was too late and the doors opened revealing Hanji and her manic smile.

"Oh! He's already here!" Hanji called back to the other two without tearing her sight away from Eren.

Eren tried to level his expression to an unsurprised look.

"Hello, Eren!" Hanji greeted him loudly, her white teeth showing and sparkling.

He was very, very wrong. He should not have ignored the clawing dread he felt yesterday and this morning.

' _So this is what that dread is for, huh...'_

' _Well...shit...'_

* * *

A/N

Hi guys Erem Heichou here :D I'm sorry for the late update but I hope you liked Chapter 3 and just a heads-up, I will not be able to update this as regularly as I should because uni is starting next week...oh man college -_- ...but I'll do my best to work on it. Also, I know I should concentrate on this but I have other stories planned and I'm reeeaaally excited :D XD I hope you stick around and thank you for reading. I'm really happy that people are reading my stuff hee hee...love y'all!

Shattered Deception: Thank you for reading this and keeping track of it and I love Hanji too!

PrincessofAltea: Thank you! I'm happy that you like the plot :) I'm a sucker for reincarnation stuffs!

Strawberry234: Thank you for reading :)

Gothazon: Thank you! :D


	4. Undeniable Attraction

**WHOOOO! I'm ALIVE! I can't believe I was able to update today after so many months, though it's only a short one. I just really need to relieve my stress. College is just too much. Haha and i did this instead of studying. Also, I just want to share that Japanese classes are so fun, that's the only one I am looking forward to everyday so if you have the opportunity to attend one, take it! Well without further ado here's Chapter 4 :)**

* * *

Chapter 4 – Undeniable Attraction

Eren kept a normal face and stood at the door, his palms sweaty and heart beating wildly.

"H-hello, ma'am." _'Shit!'_ Eren cursed himself for stuttering. _'Stay calm….stay calm'_

Hanji cackled loud enough for the whole building to hear making the other occupants in the room wince.

"Ohhhhhh, Eren. You're so cute!" Hanji pinched his cheeks. "It's not _ma'am_ , call me Hanji." She gave a few more pulls before letting go.

"O-ow" Eren rubbed his abused cheeks. "It's nice to meet you Ms. Hanji." He gave a polite if not strained smile.

Something seemed to perk-up in Hanji when she heard Eren's greeting. She smiled back at Eren, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Hanji grabbed Eren's arm and dragged him inside the room. Eren let himself be pulled, almost tripping over due to the force. There was no escape for him after all.

Hanji stopped dragging him when they reached the center of the room. She slung an arm over his shoulders and Eren became stiff as a board.

"So guys here is the newest addition to our wonderful authors, Eren Yeager!" Hanji said while eyeing Levi.

Erwin doesn't seem to be surprised at all but Levi was still frozen on his spot the moment Hanji opened the door.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you." Eren gave a small bow to both men. He gave himself a mental pat on the back for not stuttering this time.

Erwin looked at Hanji, seemingly understanding each other with a brief look. Then he took a subtle glance at Levi who still hasn't moved his eyes from the brunet.

Erwin stood up and held out his hand to Eren.

"It's nice to meet you as well, I am Erwin Smith. The CEO of Recon Publishing." Erwin said with his usual smile.

Eren gave a small smile of his own and took Erwin's hand and gave a firm shake.

"And this is Levi Ackerman, your assigned editor." Erwin gestured his hand towards Levi.

Levi woke up from his trance when he heard his name. He stood up and walked towards Eren.

Eren stood there with cold hands and a heart pounding hundred miles per hour as he looked at Levi approaching him.

"Hello." Levi said nothing more but he held out his hand and looked at Eren straight in the eyes. He could not bring himself to say 'It's nice to meet you' when he knows that this isn't the first time they met. What made him think is that why Erwin and Hanji seem to be calm about this. This must be one of their little schemes, he figured and that this must be the reason why Hanji was so vague about that paper.

Eren slowly raised his hand. The way Levi looks in his eyes scared him. It is not because he's intimidating but because of the emotion those grey eyes held. The longing, relief and the feeling that it looks directly at his soul.

Levi took Eren's hand and shook it but he let it linger there more than it should giving a little squeeze before letting go.

Eren's heart thumped and he felt his face heating up and did his best to push it down. Tension filled the room as they continue staring at each other's eyes.

"Ahem." Hanji coughed to break the tension.

"Sooo, I'll go back to my office now to get the contract. I'll be back, Ta ta ~ " Hanji finished with a wink.

As soon as she was out, her manic smile was back on her face and she pulled out her phone and dialed.

The room was very quiet and nobody seemed to want a conversation. Erwin decided to break the silence when he felt his phone vibrate in his pockets. He looked at it and raised one thick brow.

"Please excuse me for a while, I need to take this call." Erwin stood up from his seat and eyed Levi.

Levi narrowed his eyes and gave a look that would have made any lesser man cry, but (un)fortunately Erwin isn't one of those.

"Why don't you guys talk while we're gone?" Erwin finished with a suspicious smile.

' _Oh god nooooo, why do you have to do this to me?!'_ Eren panicked inside his head.

When Erwin got out of the room, he saw Hanji by the elevator holding her phone. He strode towards her and both of them gave a triumphant smile.

"Let's give them some privacy." Hanji said as the two of them enter the elevator.

* * *

"…"

"…"

The room was enveloped with silence. Levi was staring at the wall opposite to him, giving Eren side glances every now and then. Eren on the other hand, was sitting straight as a board and decided to observe the flower centerpiece.

' _Oh my god! Eren breathe, inhale…exhale…gaaahhh I still can't calm down!'_ Eren thought while staring at the flowers as if willing it to burn.

' _I know he is looking at me. God, how do I do this?!'_

"Eren."

Eren was startled out of his thoughts at the call of his name.

"Y-yes, sir?" Eren responded his gaze drifting to the side.

"Levi."

"Huh?"

"Call me Levi." Levi said looking at Eren, emotions hidden from his face.

"Yes? Levi?" Eren saw how Levi's eyes warmed the moment he said his name.

"You're nervous." Levi stated, not even forming it into a question.

"I am not!" Eren's eyes snapped back to Levi. "S-sir -ah Levi."

Levi let out an amused snort and gave an amused smirk. He placed his elbow on the arms of the chair and leaned his head on his hand.

"Yes, you are." His eyes twinkling with amusement. He really liked to tease Eren whether it be like this or in bed- wait STOP! No! This is no time for those thoughts.

Eren looked to the side and pouted.

He could see the fondness in Levi's eyes and the butterflies in his stomach went wild. He felt scared but also warm. He is currently experiencing an emotional dilemma.

While Eren is in his own head, Levi can't help but admire the gorgeous face in front of him. Those bright eyes and those lips that if only the situation permits, he would have kissed that pout away like he always did. Eren was known for his outbursts and most of the time it ended with him pouting but it only takes a kiss from Levi for him to be smiling again. Most of the time Levi would just swoop in between Eren's outbursts and kiss him, not caring if anybody was around making Eren a blushing mess.

Looking at Eren's face right now, Levi felt a surge of courage. He stood up and approached Eren whose head is turned away from him and was still lost in his own world. He leaned down and called Eren's name.

"Eren."

Eren turned his head and was surprised by Levi's proximity. He froze as he saw Levi leaning down glancing between his eyes and lips.

Eren didn't know what to do. He wanted to let Levi kiss him but his head is screaming for him to push Levi away. Fortunately, on his part, Hanji and Erwin decided to enter the room at that particular time.

"Yo! How you guys do–, oh…" Hanji stopped to look at them. Levi was leaning towards Eren so close that it will only need the slightest of push to kiss him.

Levi immediately straightened and gave Hanji and Erwin a menacing glare.

"Oops…hehe."

Looks like the time they gave them was not enough.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! See you next time!**

 **ありがとうございます！またね！**


	5. Bold Actions and Blushing Faces

**Hello guys! I'm baaaack! Sorry I'm gone for a while but my semester has ended and I'm free! Also, Happy Holidays! Just a note, I don't really know how publishing companies do their thing so what I wrote is not accurate. I apologize for that.**

 **As usual, I own nothing about SnK, I just love Levi and Eren :D**

 **Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Levi Heichou!**

 **I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. Happy reading!**

* * *

Hanji and Erwin strode towards the chairs they were sitting before, both having unhidden amused looks in their eyes.

"So…" Hanji began, dragging out the word. "It seems like you two became quite _close_ already." She said as she sat down beside Erwin. "Fast as ever, Levi." She directed a smirk at Levi.

"Hn." Levi gave her an unimpressed look. "Shitty four-eyes." He mumbled.

"Well, all things aside, here is your contract Eren. The terms are written there." Hanji slid a folder containing the documents towards Eren.

"You can ask us any questions after reading them, but I'll be telling you the gist of it. Basically, you and Levi will be working together as you already know. He'll be visiting you every weekends to keep check on your progress and you two get to decide where to meet. Also, at the end of each month you need to submit at least three chapters of your book. We would like to release it by spring preferably the end of March. Since October has just began you got six months or so to finish the book. I guess its fine since you already submitted a five chapter manuscript so yeah, good luck and I'm happy to be working with you!" Hanji ended her speech with a stretched out grin and took Eren's hand and shook it.

"Hanji, calm down and let Eren read through it." Erwin told Hanji.

"Ha ha, sorry about that. I just looove newbies." Hanji scratched her head and settled back to her seat.

"Umm, do I really have to meet up with Levi that often?" Eren said, lifting his eyes up from scanning the documents to look at Erwin.

"Yes, so that we can make sure that we can meet the deadline." Erwin answered with a slight smile.

"Do you have problem with that?" Levi cut in, slightly annoyed but he's actually just curious and admittedly a tiny bit hurt.

Eren sensed it and immediately shook his head, "No, I was just clarifying things." Eren gave an honest reply and sent a small smile towards Levi.

"Aww, Eren you're so cute!" Hanji cooed and tried to hug Eren.

Erwin cleared his throat and clamped his hand on Hanji's shoulder. "Hanji, let's give Eren some time to finish reading, okay?"

"Ooookay…." Hanji pouted.

"No, it's okay. I'm done already." Eren took the pen from the table and signed the paper. "Here." He handed Erwin the folder.

Erwin opened the folder and scanned it quickly. Satisfied, he stood up and everyone followed.

"Well, this has been nice. Welcome to Recon, Eren Yeager." Erwin flashed his usual smile and shook hands with Eren.

Eren bowed, "Thank you."

After that, everyone headed towards the door but Eren was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait, Eren."

"Yes, Levi?" Eren turned around and was shocked at how intense Levi's stare was but he did not flinch. He stared at deep silver eyes and he felt as if it was tearing his soul apart.

"Why did you ran away that night?" Levi never really liked beating around the bush.

Eren's eyes widened a fraction but he kept his composure. "Huh? What are you talking about?" Eren questioned tilting his head a bit and tried playing innocent.

Levi slid his hand from Eren's shoulder down his arm to take hold of his wrist and tugged Eren closer and whispered to his ear. "Don't play the innocent card on me."

Eren took in a sharp breath and Levi gave a wry smirk when he felt Eren shudder at his voice.

Eren tried to pull his hand away but Levi kept a firm yet gentle grip on it. "Oh…OH! So that was you huh." Eren tried to looked surprised. "I just actually remembered that my sister was waiting for me that time and when I realized it I saw you glaring and I was just startled and I just really need to go back before my sister kills me, so yeah…" Eren scratched the back of his neck as he explained, "Sorry 'bout that, hehe."

Levi raised a brow at that a smirk still on his lips, "Hmm…is that so?" He said and Eren could sense a tone of mockery in it.

Levi leaned in closer again and whispered, "You're ears are red, _mon amour_ _."_

Levi finally let go of Eren's hand at that, "See you, later." He said before giving Eren a genuine smile and walking away, leaving Eren frozen.

"…"

Only after Eren heard the elevator close that he decided to breathe. He sank down from where he stood and held his blushing face in his hands.

"Oh god, hold yourself together dammit!"

' _Why does Levi had to be so…so him?!'_ Eren screamed inside his head and he blushed harder at remembering Levi whispering to him and that, that French, god, his heart was still beating so hard.

He took a deep breath and composed himself. After deeming himself good, he strode towards the elevator so he can finally go home. He felt so tired after everything that happened today.

"Sleep sounds really good right now."

* * *

Levi's face was calm as he opened the door of Erwin's office. There was no trace of a frown on his face and his brows were not furrowed as it usually was.

"Someone's in a good mood." Hanji said in a sing-song voice, leaning back on Erwin's desk as she sip on her tea.

Levi ignored her and closed the door behind him.

"Care for some tea, Levi?" Erwin offered as he look through some documents on his desk.

"Ah, thanks." Levi walked towards the pot on the coffee table and helped himself with some. He sat down on the couch near the window and crossed his legs as he drank.

"Sooooo, what happened hmm? Share us the details." Hanji put down her cup and bounced toward Levi and sat beside him.

"Keep your filthy self away from me." Levi scooted away from her. He took a sip from his cup and put it down on the table in front of him. "You're way enthusiastic for this." Hanji just kept that grin on her face and Erwin has that smug look as he read through the documents. Levi looked between Hanji and Erwin and it all clicked. So this was the reason why Hanji didn't gave him a resume, why these two had those annoying smug look on their faces lately.

"You planned this didn't you?" Levi asked with a flat voice and looking unimpressed.

"Just say that you're thankful, Levi." Erwin said with his annoyingly smug face.

"Shut up Erwin, or I'll shave those caterpillars off your face."

"He's right Levi! Anyway, what happened?" Hanji pressed, "You can tell Mama Hanji anything!"

Levi gave a weirded out look at Hanji, he will never call her Mama Hanji. Nope. Never.

"It doesn't concern you shitty glasses."

"Did you kiss him?"

"…"

"Did you get his number?"

"…"

"Don't ignore me Leviiiiiiiiiiii." Hanji whined and attempted to shake Levi.

Levi evaded and slapped Hanji's hand away, "Stop that four-eyes, you're breaking my ear."

Hanji took back her hands and pouted. "Well, what did you do then?"

"…Nothing." Levi said not realizing the small smile on his face as he remember Eren's tomato face.

"KYAAAAAA! YOU'RE SMILING! Oh my god! ERWIN, LEVI'S SMILING!" Hanji screamed not being able to control herself.

Levi and Erwin winced at Hanji's shout. They would have bleeding ears by now.

"Stop over reacting fucking four-eyes."

"But Levi, you smiled! So that means something happened right?" Hanji tried to beg Levi with wide puppy eyes, but it didn't work as expected.

"Whatever, it's not your business but let's just say he's still the same brat I knew."

Levi felt his heart warm at the thought of Eren.


End file.
